India
Visit the highlights of Agra
The best way to get to Agra from Delhi is to take the express train, this will get you to Agra in less than 2 hours. After that, your adventure in Agra can begin! Ready to tick one of the New Seven Wonders of the World off your bucket list? ;-)
Start your day with a delicious breakfast at Joney’s Place
Start your Agra adventure with a delicious breakfast at Joney’s Place. This cozy spot has been awarded with so many prestigious prices, and with good reason. Everything on the menu is freshly made to order in Joney’s little kitchen, and the quality is impeccable! There are only a handful of seats inside, but it really adds to the whole experience. You can go for an Indian breakfast, some pancakes, egg dishes… You name it, they have it! The real star of the show can be found by opening the secret tip, though ;-). Other than providing you with the best meal, Joney’s also offers some fun drinks options! Especially the hot drinks section is where the fun is at, with the Hot Lemon Ginger with Honey being our favorite. You can also visit Joney’s Place for lunch and dinner, we heard their Cheese Kofta is really good! Located only 5 minutes away from the Taj Mahal, Joney’s Place offers a perfect start to your Agra exploration. Oh and did we tell you that Joney’s Place will not break the bank? We paid € 4 for 2 dishes and 4 hot drinks.
Admire the majestic Taj Mahal
Admiring the Taj Mahal, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, is definitely the highlight of your visit to Agra. From the moment you enter the main gate, you’ll be amazed by this architectural masterpiece. The Taj Mahal is really impressive, and there’s so much more to do and see here! Spend your morning strolling through the gardens, take some photos (in front) of the fountains, or visit the mausoleum and see where Queen Mumtaz Mahal and King Shah Jahan, who built this memorial in the 17th century for his wife, are laid to rest. Whatever you choose to do, we guarantee you will be blown away! And if all has been said and done and you feel it’s time to leave, take place on one of the benches to admire the perfect marble craftsmanship one last time. Make sure to reserve enough time here, we estimate at least 3 hours to fully appreciate all the Taj Mahal has to offer!
After soaking in the beauty of the Taj Mahal it’s time to talk to the nearest auto-rickshaw driver and haggle over the price :-). We paid 120 Rs. but your mileage may vary!
Visit Agra Fort
Now it’s time to explore Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the moment you stand in front of the gates, you’ll notice: this place is huge! We recommend at least 2 hours here, even more if your goal is to see literally everything this place has to offer! What we really liked about this place is that it isn’t just a “fort” or something from the military. No, this place also has countless temples, viewpoints, parks,… it even functioned as a prison at one time! The versatility of this place is so cool, you won’t be bored for one second. The cute squirrels all over the place are a nice added bonus, too ;-).
Your next destination is a 7-minute drive away.
Admire the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah
Next, visit the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah, also known as the "Baby Taj". This is a lesser-known gem of Agra, but that doesn’t make it any less spectacular! As its nickname suggests, there are tons of similarities between “Baby Taj” and “Mama Taj”, like incredible marble architecture and a mausoleum you can visit. What we really like is that the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah was completed a couple years before construction of the Taj Mahal even started! You could say it was the draft of the Taj Mahal, which makes you think: who really is “Baby Taj” now? For this reason alone, a visit to this beautiful monument is needed. In honor to celebrate the present, we have to respect the past!
Time to take another rickshaw to your next destination!
Sunset at Taj Yamuna View Point
End your day with a breathtaking sunset at Taj Yamuna View Point, where you can admire the Taj Mahal from the banks of the Yamuna River. This is a super cool sunset spot that’s only visited by locals, a true hidden gem! Chances are you will see other people here, but never a big crowd and almost no other tourists. It’s a great place to take some sunset pictures of the Taj Mahal, or just get a quick calming getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. We recommend you just sit back, relax, and watch as the sky transforms into a canvas of vibrant colors.
Walk 10 minutes to your last destination of the day.
Dinner at Shankara Vegis Restaurant
End your day with a vegetarian dinner at Shankara Vegis Restaurant, an amazing restaurant with an amazing kitchen and even better staff. Listing every single dish on the menu would be impossible, and in order to get the best experience we suggest you do the same like we did and ask the waiter/manager for help. Just tell him what you like and don’t like, if you’re really hungry or if it’s just a quick snack, whether you want an appetizing snack or not, and most importantly: how spicy you like it! We really liked the fact that the suggestions went as far as to decide what kind of bread went best with our meal! We knew we wanted to order naan (of course), but the staff helped us pick the right one so that the flavors compliment each other instead of ruining the whole meal. Whatever route you take, you will come to a beautiful decision, we’re sure of it ;-) Also, we paid just over € 12 for our whole meal, including 5 soft drinks! Interested in what we ordered? Check the secret tip!
